Requests for CSLC Support or Opposition to current legislation:

Members of CSLC who wish to present bills for consideration should complete this form and give it to our CSLC Legislative Chair: Chaer Robert (Crobert@cclponline.org)

Requests will be presented to CSLC membership at the next Monday program meeting and will be voted on the following week (giving members one week’s notice to consider the bill).

The Colorado Legislative Session runs from January through May. The next meeting will convene on January 27, 2020. 

Please SUPPORT HB20-1009

Fairness in Access to Eviction Court Records 

Sponsors: Rep. Dominique Jackson and Sen. Faith Winter

Problem: When an eviction is filed in court—even when it is dismissed for being unfounded or retaliatory—it produces a court record. This court record may be purchased by third party companies to include in “tenant screening reports,” and ultimately, it may be used to deny a person housing. This means that even when a tenant wins and gets the case dismissed, they still may end up losing in the long-run.

Fearing this “scarlet letter” and the consequences of a court record, many renters are afraid to defend their rights in court. When they receive a demand to pay a fee, some renters will comply by paying out of pocket even if the request is unfair or meritless.  

However, an eviction filing is not the same as an eviction. In many cases, it is not an accurate reflection of someone’s history as a tenant and should not be used to deny someone housing. 

Considering these issues, several states have implemented or are in the process of developing legislation that would limit public access to court records of dismissed evictions.

Solution: This bill provides that when an eviction is filed, it is initially “suppressed” from public access (meaning only the courts and the parties to the case can access the record) while the case is pending. This record would remain under suppression unless an eviction is ordered by the court. This policy would allow people to be able to defend their rights without fear of the ensuing court record.

This would apply to both evictions in conventional housing, as well as mobile home park evictions.

Please support HB20-1009 to bolster due process rights for renters.

Supporters of Fairness in Access to Eviction Court Record

9to5 Colorado
AARP Colorado
All Families Deserve a Chance Coalition
Apartment Association of Metro Denver
Apartment Association of Southern Colorado
Bayaud Enterprises
Center for Health Progress
Center Toward Self-Reliance
Colorado Apartment Association
Colorado Center on Law and Policy
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Colorado Cross Disability Coalition
Colorado Fiscal Institute
Colorado Lawyers Committee
Colorado Senior Lobby
Colorado Village Collaborative
Energy Outreach Colorado
Enterprise Community Partners
Fair Chance
Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
Jefferson County Food Policy Council
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado
Mental Health Colorado
Mile High Connects
Northern Colorado Rental Housing Association
People’s Advocacy Council
Raise Colorado
Rodfei Tzedek
Spring Institute
The Arc of Adams County
The Arc of Southwest Colorado
The Denver Foundation
The Independence Center
United for a New Economy (UNE)
Violence Free Colorado
Weld County Apartment Association